South African City Guides
The history, character, and key areas of 104 cities and towns across South Africa.
Gauteng
Alberton is a large, bustling town on the southern edge of Johannesburg, straddling the industrial a…
Benoni is a substantial East Rand city in Gauteng, approximately 30 kilometres east of Johannesburg,…
Boksburg is a substantial East Rand city in Gauteng, approximately 25 kilometres east of Johannesbur…
Brakpan is an East Rand town in Gauteng's Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality, sandwiched between S…
Centurion occupies the strategic midpoint between Johannesburg and Pretoria along the N1 highway and…
Edenvale is an East Rand city in Gauteng, positioned between Johannesburg's eastern suburbs, Germist…
Germiston is one of Gauteng's most important industrial cities, located in the Ekurhuleni Metropolit…
Johannesburg is South Africa's largest city and the economic engine of sub-Saharan Africa, generatin…
Kempton Park is an East Rand city in Gauteng, most significantly defined by its adjacency to OR Tamb…
Krugersdorp is a West Rand city in Gauteng that built its identity around gold mining and sits at th…
Midrand occupies the geographic midpoint between Johannesburg and Pretoria along the N1 highway and …
Pretoria is South Africa's administrative capital and the seat of the country's executive government…
Randburg is one of the largest suburban nodes in Gauteng, sitting directly north of Johannesburg bet…
Roodepoort is a large West Rand suburb-city in Gauteng, sitting between Johannesburg to the east and…
Sandton is widely regarded as the financial capital of sub-Saharan Africa, concentrating the headqua…
Soweto — an acronym for South Western Townships — is the most historically and culturally significan…
Springs is a large East Rand town in Gauteng, sitting within the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipalit…
Vanderbijlpark is a meticulously planned industrial city on the banks of the Vaal River in the Emful…
Vereeniging is an industrial city in the Vaal Triangle region of southern Gauteng, sitting on the no…
Western Cape
Bredasdorp is the main town of the Cape Agulhas Local Municipality in the Western Cape, situated on …
Cape Town is South Africa's second-largest city and its legislative capital, occupying one of the mo…
Franschhoek is a small, extraordinarily food-focused valley town in the Western Cape's Winelands, ap…
KwaZulu-Natal
Amanzimtoti is the closest South Coast beach destination to Durban, located just 27 km south of the …
Ballito is a rapidly growing coastal town on the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast, approximately 40 kilomet…
Durban is South Africa's third-largest city and its busiest port, sitting on the warm Indian Ocean c…
Eastern Cape
East London is the only river port in South Africa, situated where the Buffalo River meets the India…
Gqeberha — renamed from Port Elizabeth in 2021 to honour the Xhosa name for the Baakens River — is t…
Graaff-Reinet is one of South Africa's oldest and most beautiful towns, nestled in a bend of the Sun…
Mpumalanga
eMalahleni, formerly known as Witbank, is Mpumalanga's industrial powerhouse and the coal capital of…
Ermelo is the main town of the Gert Sibande District in Mpumalanga, situated on the southern Highvel…
Graskop is a small but well-visited town perched on the edge of the Drakensberg escarpment in Mpumal…
Limpopo
Bela-Bela, formerly known as Warmbaths, is a resort town in the Waterberg district of Limpopo, best …
Lephalale, formerly Ellisras, is a rapidly growing town in the western Waterberg district of Limpopo…
Mokopane, formerly known as Potgietersrus, is a thriving town in the Waterberg district of Limpopo, …
Free State
Bethlehem is the largest town in the Free State's eastern highland region, nestled in the foothills …
Bloemfontein is South Africa's judicial capital, home to the Supreme Court of Appeal, and the admini…
Clarens is a small village in the eastern Free State foothills of the Maluti Mountains, approximatel…
North West
Hartbeespoort is a small town and resort area in the Magalies Mountains valley, North West Province,…
Klerksdorp is one of the major cities of the North West province, sitting on the Schoonspruit tribut…
Lichtenburg is a small North West city approximately 240 kilometres west of Johannesburg, serving as…
Northern Cape
Colesberg is the most strategically located town in South Africa — it sits at the exact junction of …
Kimberley is the capital of the Northern Cape province and one of South Africa's most historically s…
Kuruman is the main town in the John Taolo Gaetsewe District of the Northern Cape, positioned at the…